6 Reasons to Hang-Dry Your Laundry

(source)

There's not a lot of situations where I actually prefer to go for the slightly longer less convenient path than the most efficient and easiest one, but when it comes to laundry, I change my ways. I hang-dry my laundry instead of using the drier.
Okay, so one of the reasons is that we don't actually have a drier (we have a very bad one, hardly counts), but even when it was available to me in the past, I would still hang-dry my laundry whenever possible. All you need is a bit of dry space and a line or rack to hang up the clothes.
How long does it take? I'd say about 5-10 minutes. No more than that. You get more efficient too as time goes by.

So why would you opt for hanging up the laundry instead of just popping it in the drier? Here are my main reasons:

1. Environment.
   Using the drier takes up a lot of electricity. You're wasting electricity where you could just use the air around you to accomplish the same job. Even if it takes a little longer, after you hang up the laundry, you don't have to look at it until you take it down.
2. Price.
   Running a drier costs money. You have to pay for the machine and for the electricity. Wind/air is free! You'll even notice the effect more directly if you usually go to a laundromat that charges for the drying.
3. Absorption.
   Laundry that has been machine-dried just doesn't absorbed water quite as well as laundry that you dry on  line. That's also the reason I don't use fabric softener (actually, the previous two reasons are also good for not using softener: they're expensive and entirely unnecessary chemicals. Yuk!)
4. Shrinking.
   When you hang-dry the laundry, it dries at room temperature. That means you don't risk shrinking it because of the heat in the drier.
5. Lint.
   The lint from one sweater isn't swirled around and automatically transported onto every single other item in the drier. I made the mistake of putting one of my sweaters in with some sheets once and was never able to get them quite lint-free again.
6. Static.
   I can't stand static. My hair goes in crazy directions and you end up with handkerchiefs stuck to your jeans while you're running out the door. Static may be harmful to your body as well as uncomfortable.

My mother brought us up to hang-dry the laundry. I'm sure she was mainly being frugal, just like her parents before her, but in these days of economic turmoil, that may just be the best reason there is.

What about you? Do you use a drier? Ever considered using a clothes-line instead? Is there something that prevents you from doing so (bad weather, small apartment)? Perhaps we could figure out a solution together!

Worth Every Minute: Alternative Gifts

It's that time of the year that shop owners rejoice in the splendor of holiday spending. In my family we usually manage to keep things quite limited, but I can't help giving into buying gifts for friends and family from time to time.

Luckily, both my hubby and I have been out of the Christmas atmosphere for two years now (Christmas is not a big holiday in China), and it's been easy to avoid buying things like decorations and typical holiday foods. It's made December a lot less expensive than it used to be.

But looking forward to spending more holidays with family, we'd like to find more ways to keep the gift-buying to a minimum because neither of us is a big fan of 'stuff'.

That's why I was so happy to come across a ZenHabits post on alternative holiday gifts. I immediately felt like sharing (even though it took me about a week to do so).

Interested? Get all the goodness here:

The No New Gifts Holiday Challenge by Leo Babauta on Zen Habits.

For more articles and videos worth watching, check out the whole series of Worth Every Minute here.

3 Easy Tricks to Eat More Fruit

Picture by Michael Geipel

Vegetables are quite easy to incorporate into our diet since they're a part of our main meals, but unless you eat fruit as a desert or with breakfast, it can be difficult to give it a place in your diet. Fruit makes an ideal snack, however, as long as it's readily available when you feel like snacking.
Healthy eating is always a concern of mine, and with another life growing inside, it is now more so than ever. So I try to consume at least 3 pieces of fruit a day. Here's how I do it:

1. Pick fruit that's easy to eat on the go. It's tangerine and banana season here, but apples, grapes or berries are great too. Put a piece of fruit (or a bag of grapes) in your purse/briefcase so you have it with you when you're out of the house. You'll find yourself reaching for it when you're in the mood for something sweet because it's so close at hand.
   
2. Make a smoothie or shake to go with breakfast or as an in between snack. You can pack smoothies with quite a bit of different fruits, and you can add milk or yogurt for extra calcium, or orange juice for extra  vitamin C. Adding ice-cream is delicious, but kind of defeats the purpose. We've been loving our banana-yogurt-cocoa shakes lately!
   
3. Wash fruits right when you bring them into the house, and then display them wherever you spend the most time in the house. Having it already washed means you can just reach and take a bite. It also means you can let your fruit soak in salt water which is a great way to remove pesticides.
   Remember to wash your fruit even if it is organic because there are bugs and parasites in dirt too!

For me, fruit is a great way to satisfy that craving for something sweet without having to feel guilty about it. It also gives you fast sugars if you're feeling low on energy, so it's a great pick-me-up.
Fruits are full of wonderful nutrients, so every piece is a treat not only for your taste buds, but for your body too! Enjoy!

Keeping Note Paper Nearby

Picture by Matt Reinbold

One of the things that always bugs me is when I have to write something down, but I can't fine a scrap of paper anywhere to do it. It happens in the house, when I'm on the phone, when I get an idea, or in class when a student talks to me and I need to remember to do something.
Since I get a lot of old notebooks from my students, I've now started keeping them in different parts of the house and in my school bag.

You can buy notepads, or you can make your own from scrap paper you have lying around. We used to staple together the last pages in school notebooks at the end of the year to make a new 'notebook' when we were kids. It's environmental and it saves you money!

Put your notebooks in different places. One for each room of the house works, though there are some rooms you can skip (I usually don't try jotting anything down while in the shower). 
Ideally you'd keep a pen with all the note paper too. 

I've found that taking notes on my phone doesn't really help me, because I can't do it fast enough and because I tend to forget about them once they're in there. Paper still does the trick for me.

What about you? Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to write stuff down but can't find a scrap of paper anywhere? What are your fixes?

Aim for Small

Mini-cupcake by Vancouver Bites!

Pregnancy and food are a dangerous mix. Especially pregnancy and junk food. But I know it's not only pregnant women that crave foods that are bad for them. We all have our weaknesses and sometimes it's just too hard not to give in.
My hubby is pretty strict with me when it comes to eating fast food (frankly, I just don't tell him everything), but I make allowances for myself. If I really want something, I feel better just giving in than obsessing over it and getting stressed out in the process.

So how do I lessen my guilt and keep my intake of junk food under control? I opt for the smallest portion size.

I know that technically you get more value for money if you buy big sizes (although it's best to check that because I've found that sometimes the big containers end up costing more per kg than the small ones!), but you will still save money if you buy a smaller portion. The reality is that if you buy the big portion, you'll most likely finish it all at ones. I've only rarely seen someone put away half a bag of potato chips (my personal nemesis). If you only have a small portion, I doubt you'll run back to the store to buy more.

The same goes for bottles of soda, pieces of cake, packages of candy. Buying the small portion may seem more expensive, but it will save you money in the long run and keep you healthier, because you will get used to only consuming the small portion.

So next time you're at the store looking for that snack to satisfy your craving, try to find the smallest bag/package/bottle/can available and buy only that one. Just having a taste can be enough to get rid of those nagging thoughts.
If there is no small size available, sharing can work wonders too cutting your portion at least in half!

Worth Every Minute!

I love libraries! Whenever I do the 'Describe your favorite place'-exercise with my students, I give the library as an example. I love the smell of old books; the sound of pages being turned; the neat, endless rows of book cases.

And yet, I have to admit, I haven't set foot in a library in China yet. Why? I just haven't seen the point, really. I don't read Chinese. Period. Unfortunately, my love for books only goes as far as I can actually comprehend them to a degree.

But not for the writer of the following article. She talks about the other reasons why visiting a library can be wonderful. It's not only a great place to get books (usually free and very environmental!), it's a place where you can get 10 more great advantages.

Read for yourself!

10 Ways to Use the Library by Tiffany Larson on SimpleOrganic.net

For more articles that are worth every minute, check out the full series here.

Read the Label

"Cheese" by Oli Shaw

You know those small letters they have on clothes or on packages of food? You know how they got there? Years of consumer organizations struggling to get us, you and me, informed about what we're buying. We're used to seeing them on bottles, boxes and bags, but do you ever read them?

Well, it might not be such a silly idea.

While you're drinking your glass of juice for breakfast, read the information on the box. If you happen to have different boxes or bottles available, feel free to compare.
When you eat a snack, don't throw the wrapper out immediately but have a look at the ingredients on it. 
Buying a new t-shirt? There's a tag that will tell you where it was made. 

Even if you don't use the information, even if you don't change your mind based on it, it never hurts to be informed. Knowing what you put in your body is valuable, even if it is a dangerous chemical!

Reading these little words is a matter of seconds, but it can be a first step to living a healthier, happier and more satisfying life.

I once read a book (Food Rules: An Eater's Guide by Michael Pollan) which stated that if there is something on a food label that you don't understand, that you don't recognize as food, you should consider it a 'food stuff' instead of real food. Reading food labels I try to keep in mind that anything that looks like a chemical instead of a natural product is probably not that good for me. I'd rather eat sugar than high fructose corn syrup.
Reading the label on a bottle of juice, I like to see no more than: 100% juice (based on concentrate, in most cases).
Reading the labels on clothes, I love to see I am buying cotton or wool, and not acrylic or polyester. I also love seeing clothes with a fair-trade label instead of those made in Bangladesh or Thailand.

Whatever is on a label has been put there especially to keep you informed, usually against the will of the corporations who produce the product. It's your right to know.

Healthy Summer Snacks: Shakes

(source)

Summer and winter for me are both risky times when it comes to snacking. In winter, I always crave cookies and chocolate, in summer, I can't stay away from ice-cream and fruit pies. But there are so many better options available that offer our body much more nutrition and a lot less poison.

One of the ways I try to stay away from ice-cream is by eating fruit instead. But sometimes, that just doesn't cut it and I want something a bit more special. On those occasions, I get out the blender and make myself a quick shake.

I've based my shakes on either dairy or on juice. Some fruits mix better with milk or yogurt, others go really well with orange juice.
Some quick combinations for you to try out:

1. Mix some banana, yogurt (or kefir) and cocoa powder in the blender. This is similar to a desert my mother used to make that was a combination of melted chocolate and yogurt left in the fridge. This one is much faster though, and you get some extra nutrients from the banana
   
2. Mix any berries with apple juice. I love forest fruits in a juice, or in a blend. The tangy taste is just perfect for those hot summer days. To make it easy on yourself (and avoid a trip to the woods) frozen berries work just fine and add that bit of cold chill many people like.
   
3. Blend some mango with orange juice. Mango is one of my favorite fruits, and it's unbelievably good for you! To spice up this shake, add a bit of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg to the mix.

Enjoy your summer full of healthy snacks, and don't forget to indulge in that bit of ice-cream every now and then anyways. You deserve it!

What kind of shakes do you make?
If you enjoyed reading this post, feel free to vote on it below.

Save Electricity by Adaptation

Chinese kids cooling down - Chengdu 2011

I got back from my trip through China last night, and as I arrived in Yantai the heat and humidity got to me pretty much instantly. This city isn't so bad in summer (compared to cities like Beijing and Shanghai), but I'm still only a Belgian girl, so not used to higher temperatures for extended periods of time.

So, as you can probably guess, the air conditioning system is my personal savior at this time. It's not something I am proud of, however. A/C and other cooling systems take up a lot of energy. And all of that just so that I can live at my maximum comfort level? Do I really need it? I've found that if I give my body time, it will adjust to higher or lower temperatures just fine. Therefore, I've started limiting the time I use air conditioning, and how high I put it, so that slowly, over time, I get used to the warmth.

When I visited Los Angeles in 2007 (for the second time) it was the middle of July. It was scorching hot, most of the days. The concrete streets and buildings did nothing to absorb the sun, it only got worse. But it didn't bother me at all. In fact, I was too COLD most of the time. Why? I spent most of my time indoors, in buildings that are kept at a cool 65°F (18°C). Sure, it's nice and cool when you come in, but coming from 100°, a balmy 80° would've sufficed just as well.

So when you get too hot (or too cold in winter) try to adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees in whatever direction that will save energy (and your money). Alternatively, set a timer so that the system is running long enough to cool things down for a bit, but not running while you're out and don't need it.

I hope you all have the luxury of feeling too hot at some time this summer. Enjoy it while it lasts, and remember it's only a couple of months before you'll be wishing you could feel this way again.

Recycle Recycle Reuse

Recycling is now pretty much established as a standard practice in Western countries (I use 'Western' a lot since that's the word they use here.) In China, however, it's not really the common way. Most people just put everything in a trash bag. Afterwards they dump it in one of the big boxes outside, and the bags get searched for bottles, cans and boxes by the less fortunate, who can then sell it for a tiny bit of money.
We still recycle however, and pack the stuff separately. Either way, it helps someone.

Separating paper and plastic is common, right, but what about recycling other stuff? I'm talking about other items around the house that maybe you could reuse for another purpose instead of throwing them out right away. My grandmother used to be wonderful at this. A bed sheet went through being a sheet, to being a towel, to being a diaper, finally ending up as a cleaning rag at the end of its life cycle.

You don't have to do any stitching or be very creative to re-use items in your house. How about using a squeeze bottle as an easy oil dispenser? Or an old jam jar as a container for left-over sauces or soups? 
Here you can find great ideas on how to re-use an old yoga mat, and this site has some great ideas for what to do with glass jars.
If you have something that you don't really want to throw away, google 'reuse + your item' and see what pops up. You never know what your possible trash could be used for!

The picture shows some of the simple items I've reused in our home. A bamboo cup that split became a chopstick holder (essential if you live in the East and use them every day). A glass jar became the perfect home for my sourdough starter. I cover it with a piece cut from an old shirt of the hubby, it's held on their by the use of an old scrunchy that wouldn't scrunch no more. At the bottom is a spice container in which I put some chopped lemon zest and cooking oil. Makes a great massage oil!

Making all of these work was a matter of minutes!

I have three pairs of jeans that are worn,  but only in one spot. Any idea on what I could do with them without a sewing machine? I don't mind doing some hand-stitching, as long as it's not too much!

Use only ONE Bathroom Product

Did I pique your interest with yesterday's post? Are you curious to find out how I replaced my shampoo, body-wash, facial soap, 'special soap' and even my future baby's soap with only one product? Especially if I tell you this one product has been around for thousands of years and contains no harmful chemicals?
Well, I won't hold you in suspense any longer.

I use ... Aleppo soap. Aleppo soap is a soap based on olive and bay leaf oil. I use if to wash my face, hands, even my hair. I've heard you can also use it to brush your teeth with, but haven't tried that yet.

I suggest you try this soap first, before you throw out all of your chemical beauty products. Maybe you won't like it, and that's just fine. 
If you're wondering about where to buy a piece of this soap, in Belgium you can find it at Bioplanet, (the Danish Urtekram one is my favorite!), in the UK, you can order it from Life & Home of Wikaniko.com. For the US, I'm not so sure. Amazon has it, for sure: Syrian Soap 200g - Olive Oil Soap from Mesopotamia(1 bar) (Amazon link), but this may be a bit pricy. I also found the website Wunderley, which sells a selection as well. Just running a search on Ebay for Aleppo or olive oil soap will get you plenty of results.

I've saved a lot of money on care products in this way, and I love how I only have this one piece of soap in the shower, and don't need to rummage through a whole bunch of bottles and flasks like I used to. Sure, it took some time to get used to the feeling and the smell (smells kind of herb-like and like Marseille soap), but now I don't want anything else!

Has anyone in the states seen this in one of the bigger alternative markets? Or in a regular super market? Let me know!

Let me know if you're thinking about giving it a try. Or maybe you use a different type of natural soap that can be used for pretty much anything? I'm sure there are plenty of options, I just happened to stumble across this one first. Let me know what you think!

Cut Your Shower Short

My sister is the queen of short showers. When she was staying with us last year, my husband and I were completely baffled by how fast she got in and out of a shower. So today, the tip I want to give you is the one we picked up from her.
Short showers have many benefits: you save water and energy (which is both environmental and saves you money!), your skin benefits from not being so dry, and ... most important for the purpose of this blog ... you save time.
My sister could take a shower in 5 minutes! I haven't quite made it that far, especially when I wash my hair, but I've managed to cut it short by at least 5 minutes each time.

When you're taking a shower, try not to think of it as a moment to relax. Better yet, put it on your to-do list and make it seem like a task you have to accomplish. Maybe this will inspire the 'let's-get-it-over-with'-vibe. 
That's not because I don't want you to relax. Naturally, I want you to have the best life possible. You're my readers, I have your best interest at heart at all times! So am I taking away a moment of joy from you? No, I'm just asking you to find another moment that you enjoy even more, or that relaxes you even more. No idea of what to do with those extra 5 minutes? How about you take a walk around this blog?

Maybe you could consciously relax your body by practicing corpse pose, or by meditating for 5 minutes. Or you could try something new like read some flash fiction or write a haiku. The sky is the limit!

Doing something completely different, will make those extra five minutes of shower time feel like an hour!

One of the ways in which I've cut my shower-time short is by only using one product in the shower. Whether I'm washing my hair or shaving my legs, there's only one product I need. It's all natural too! Come back tomorrow to find out what it is!

How would you spend your extra 5 minutes? Are you usually one to take long showers?

Consume Consciously

Clothing Labels

I don't usually do a lot of preaching, because I hate being preached to. But I hope you'll forgive me for addressing this one topic that's really close to my heart. This is a message I really want to share with you. It was a real eye-opener for me, and it changed the way I live.
I realized that as a 'consumer' (although I detest that word!) I'm asserting who I am through the choices I make.
With everything I buy, I'm either agreeing or disagreeing with the way something was produced, grown and distributed.

When I buy fair trade, I disagree with the exploitation of cheap labor in Asia and Latin America. When I buy local, I disagree with the outrageous costs of transportation both financially and environmentally. When I buy grass-fed meat and organic, I disagree with the practice of CAFOs and pesticides, and the threat to human and animal health that these practices pose.

But what if I'm not an activist? I don't want to make it my life's work to think about these decisions every day.

You can still make a difference by raising your consciousness step by step.
What you buy says a lot about who you are.

Next time you're out to buy clothes, see if you can find the label on the piece of clothing you're buying. Where was it made? What was it made of? If you think it's expensive: think of how many hours of labor would go into it, how much a person should earn per hour, how much the fabric costs and how much the company has to make on top of all that to be profitable. Still looks expensive? When you buy cheap clothes, chances are someone's paying that extra bit somewhere.

When you're grocery shopping, don't be fooled by pictures, read the ingredient labels. See a lot of stuff that you don't know? Does that really sound like food to you? If you buy foods without ingredient labels (vegetables, eggs, grains, etc.), at least you KNOW what you're eating, and you're saying 'NO' to processed food.
Try to imagine what kind of system this food comes from and if that system is sustainable in the long run. Part of taking care of our planet, is to make sure that we provide food for the billions of people that will come afterward. That means we have to make sure the natural balance is observed.

I know this isn't easy to do, and it's very difficult to let every single purchase depend on these decisions. But every little bit helps. Every time you spend money on sustainable, fair trade or second-hand items, you're asserting yourself as someone who cares about the planet and the people on it. And that just feels absolutely wonderful!

It only takes a minute to think about it.